Tribal MBBS student's death: HC notice to Centre, AIIMS

The Delhi High Court today sought response from the Centre and AIIMS on a plea by parents of an MBBS student, who allegedly committed suicide in the campus three years ago, for CBI inquiry into the "unnatural" death of their son.
Justice V K Jain issued notice to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and sought their response by January 30.
Gulab Chand Ahirwal and his wife Shanti Devi, who hail from Madhya Pradesh, had moved the high court saying that AIIMS failed to conduct a proper inquiry into the death of their son Balmukund Bharati who died on March 3, 2010.

They sought an inquiry by CBI in the case.
The parents also sought the court's direction to the government and AIIMS for financial compensation for the death of their 24 year-old son.
On March 3, 2010, the body of Balmukund, a final-year MBBS student, was found hanging in his hostel room after he failed in his exams.

"Respondent AIIMS and other authorities have failed to properly investigate the exact reason for the death of their son and they have also failed to pay any compensation till date for untimely and unnatural demise of Balmukund," the parents said in their plea.

They alleged that their son was discriminated against by faculty members on the basis of caste and that he was failed by the teacher concerned.
"Organised caste discrimination is rampant in AIIMS which is within the knowledge of AIIMS administration and the authorities have not taken any steps," the plea said.
The parents claimed that letters were written to the Madhya Pradesh chief minister and other authorities concerned besides National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and also National Commission for SC and ST.
They said nothing has been done so far.
In their plea, they said that the health ministry in 2006 had appointed a three-member committee under University Grants Commission (UGC) chairman Sukhadeo Thorat to probe allegations of caste-based discrimination at AIIMS.

They referred to the committee report in which it was said that the institute, despite requests, has not taken any initiative to arrange remedial coaching in English, basic courses or any other spheres for SC/ST students as is required by central government educational institutions.